Additional roadblocks interfere with ACA

As the time nears for uninsured people to sign up for health-care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, opponents are pulling out all the stops in a reprehensible attempt to block affordable health care for millions of people.

Their latest tactic is a letter signed by all 15 members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce demanding reports from nonprofit agencies that will be helping applicants sort through the maze of options available under the ACA.

"In order to better understand the work you will perform as a navigator and the consumer protections that will be in place ?, we ask that you contact committee staff to schedule a briefing to occur no later than Sept. 13, 2013, to discuss your participation as a navigator in the health insurance exchanges," the letter stated.

A spokeswoman for the committee said the letter was sent "to protect taxpayer dollars and Americans' sensitive personal medical information."

There is, in fact, no threat to sensitive personal medical information because the navigators will not have access to that information. If the Republicans don't know that, they have not been paying attention. If they do know it, they are being disingenuous.

Committee members also expressed concern about cost overruns and what they say is inadequate training. They offer no evidence in support of the latter claim, and $13 million is hardly enough overrun to justify stopping the program, though it should be of concern to federal officials.

Jim R. Esquea, assistant secretary for legislation for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sent a letter to the committee answering its questions and providing copies of the navigator grant applications.

He also expressed concern "about the timing of your inquiry given its potential to interfere with the navigators' ability to carry out their crucial efforts in assisting Americans who lack health insurance."

Lauren Weiner of Americans United for Change, writing in the Raleigh News & Observer, said the goal is to drown agencies in paperwork in order to stall implementation of the ACA. "They're demanding from these groups all sorts of paperwork that they know will gum up the works," she wrote.

Republicans know that once the ACA is implemented, repeal will be impossible. Millions of people will have access to affordable insurance for the first time. They will be part of a constituency the GOP will not be able to overcome. Also, they will remember which party tried to deny them that access.

The House already has voted 50 times to repeal the ACA. Republicans have proposed either shutting down the federal government or forcing it to default on its obligations if they do not get their way.

The ACA was passed by Congress, signed by President Obama and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. As Weiner put it, "What part of 'it's the law' do Republicans ? not understand?"

Despite the harassment, several agencies in Western North Carolina are pushing ahead with efforts to provide navigators. Organizations receiving grants include Mountain Projects and North Carolina Community Care Networks, an umbrella for groups including Pisgah Legal Services and the Council on Aging of Buncombe County.

Another grantee is the Alcohol/Drug Council of North Carolina, whose efforts will be concentrated on "people in recovery from mental illness and/or substance abuse."

The desperation tactics unleashed by foes of the ACA show that they are losing the fight, and they know it. The most important advance in public health since Medicare and Medicaid is on the horizon, and it will be implemented.

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Additional roadblocks interfere with ACA

As the time nears for uninsured people to sign up for health-care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, opponents are pulling out all the stops in a reprehensible attempt to block affordable